


If You Can't Stand The Heat

by Littlewriterlexi



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Chefs, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Bittersweet, Endgame Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, F/F, Fluff, Heartwarming, Humor, Lesbian Sex, Romance, Sad, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:55:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26730031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Littlewriterlexi/pseuds/Littlewriterlexi
Summary: Kara has been passionate since a young age about one thing and one thing only: Cooking! Finally, she's been accepted to a prestigious culinary school and intends to make all of her dreams come true. Armed with only the knife set she brought with her, the skills she's taught herself, and more passion than anyone else Kara will have to learn to be a chef while also coming to terms with her background. Everyone in the school seems to come from some sort of culinary background, whereas she comes from a small town with no fine-dining experience, having hardly ever even tasted fancy food.Lena Luthor, coming from a long line of culinary royalty, views her time at culinary school as nothing more than a joke. Cooking is just what she has to do, and she has all the necessary skills but lost all of her passion a long time ago if she even had any to begin with. Initially looking down on Kara, she does see some potential in the 'cooking peasant', but Lena has no time for friends, romances or anything other than getting perfect grades.Can Kara help Lena find her passion for cooking, or is Lena destined to do nothing but follow recipes and serve food with no heart. Maybe, when all is said and done, they can help each other.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 12
Kudos: 37





	If You Can't Stand The Heat

**Author's Note:**

> So should I be doing this? Probably not. But I've had this idea for a long time, now, and I had to start it. I had to! I would absolutely love some comments, feedback, and anything else you're willing to leave down below. Furthermore, just as a heads up, this probably will have smut later on and probably quite a bit of it as the story goes on. Might take a while to get there but should be fun once we do!
> 
> Can't wait to hear what you al think!
> 
> Lexi~

A lot of people think cooking is only recipes. Measurements and following directions, something that anyone can simply pick up and do. This belief that anyone can cook is prevalent across the world; and to an extent, sure, it’s true. Anybody can read a recipe and copy it, anyone can watch a youtube video and copy exactly what they’re told to do. That is cooking, by the traditional definition of the word. There can be no arguing that, but then there’s something beyond that. There’s a state that food can only achieve when it’s made by a person who pours their all into it, and someone who cooks with their heart will always produce something superior to those who just ‘follow recipes’. Though, again that only extends so far. A phenomenal dish will always be a phenomenal dish, but a true chef can bring it to the next level.

The path to becoming a chef is filled with difficulties and it’s not a path everyone can follow. For every famous chef out there, for every Gordon Ramsay, there are a thousand chefs who will never become anything beyond a mere line cook. Culinary school is the first thing one must consider. The years leading to becoming a full-fledged chef will be filled with 15-hour workdays, screaming, and failed dishes. You won’t just jump in and become famous overnight, that almost never happens. For aspiring chefs, the first day of culinary school is one of the most exciting of their lives.

For Kara Danvers, she would look back and view her first day of culinary school as one of the top five moments of her entire life. Even on that first day, Kara knew her destiny would begin there. She hated studying, she hated it with a passion. She would rather spend her time cooking, tasting different foods, and looking up various different dishes. The only reason she pushed herself so hard, pushed herself to have incredible grades, was in order to even be able to get into medical school. Her hard work paid off, and when she got her acceptance letter to  _ The Cordon Bleu _ , the Paris campus no less, she’d spent a good hour sobbing. Then she’d cooked a celebration meal for her entire family. 

Standing there, amongst all the new first-year students, Kara knew she belonged. She’d grown up in a small town, the fanciest restaurant was a chain restaurant, and there were no fancy chefs for miles. She was surrounded by snobs, children of elite chefs, people who had grown up surrounded by the kind of food Kara had never even tried but always dreamt of cooking. Yet, despite all that, Kara felt at peace, like she was in her element and she was going to prove to every single one of these people that she belonged. One day, she’d be cooking with the best. She knew it.

“Culinary school won’t turn you into a chef,” one of the older students said during the first day’s speech. Kara listened intently as he went on “What it can do, however, is give you a lifelong skill you can take with you for the rest of your life. You won’t walk out of here and become a celebrity, but you will have multiple avenues open before you.” The student smiled, and there was something… unsettling about it. The way he smiled, it felt fake. Kara had always been good at reading people and every cell in her body was screaming at her to avoid this man. She also had to stifle a giggle as the sun bounced off of his bald head. 

The rest of the day passed in a blur. They’d been given a tour of the campus and all of their amazing kitchens. These kitchens had equipment that Kara was practically swooning over. Then they were escorted to their dorms in groups. They would be five to a dorm building, they were almost like little 5 bedroom apartments. Or so Kara thought. Her entire house back home would have easily fit into the dorm room’s kitchen! It was equipped with all the best equipment one could imagine. Everything from the cutlery to the stove to the oven was completely state of the art. They even had a rational oven! 

Once they were left alone each girl picked a room. Only four girls were there, however. They were told only two things about their fifth roommate and that was that she would be arriving later and that she would be getting the master bedroom. The look on this guy’s face made it clear he wasn’t looking for an argument either, and no one cared enough to argue about it anyway. With their rooms picked, the girls reconvened in the living room, fawning over the furniture and huge tv. They had access to all the best streaming services too! Then, finally, they realized they should get to know each other a little which meant introductions were in order. One by one they introduced themselves.

First was Nia Nal. She was from the United States like Kara, and Kara suspected she was hiding something. What she was hiding though, Kara couldn’t be sure. She seemed friendly enough though and there was an air of genuineness about her. Kara liked her immediately. The other two girls were a very pretty looking french girl name, Julie, though her pronunciation of said name was far fancier than the North American way of doing so, and a Canadian woman named Molly and she was clearly the most nervous of the four. 

It was during the following laughing, the bonding, and the first day of school friendship-making that their front door opened. At first, there was silence, followed seconds later by the sound of the door closing. Then the sound of heels echoed across the immaculate hardwood floor, then, finally,  _ she  _ came into view. She walked in with an elegance about her, like she’d been coached on how to walk perfectly. She turned towards the other girls and smiled. Her hair was pulled into a faultless bun of black hair, not even a strand was out of place. Her lipstick lit up her otherwise pale face, a crimson red against a marble-like complexion. She wore a dress, inky in color, that hugged her body perfectly, highlighting everything that should be highlighted. Her body was flawless, in case that wasn’t clear. Over the dress, she wore a blazer, red as her lips, and her shoes matched the dress. Kara was from a small town, but something told her that the outfit cost as much as her entire wardrobe.

Kara felt almost like a slob in comparison, her plain tanktop hanging loosely from her shoulders. Her hair was messy and unkempt, blond strands sticking out every which way. Her jeans were nothing special, bought at Walmart of all places. Her senses went into overdrive though because that smile seemed forced. This woman, she seemed anything but happy to Kara. There was a deep sadness about her, and Kara couldn’t see any excitement or passion, despite what day it was. 

“Ah, hello.” the woman started. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, all.” and her eyes, different colors in each, scanned the four sitting in the living room. One was blue and one was green, Kara noticed. “I can tell by the look on your faces you know who I am,” she stated it, it wasn’t a question. Kara frowned at this.

The blonde took a look around, and it quickly became apparent that everyone did in fact know who this stranger was. Kara refocused on her and frowned some more and it didn’t take long for her new friends to realize that Kara had no idea who this woman was. Nia nudged her and whispered under her breath “Lena Luthor.”

Kara blinked, rubbing her side where Nia had nudged her. Then she squinted, really focusing on the girl before her. “Luthor? As in Luthor Luthor? The Luthor restaurant empire?”she inquired, only to find that this newcomer, Lena, seemed proud. The first true emotion she was displaying, but even that seemed off. 

Kara knew about the Luthors of course, who didn’t? Even those who weren’t very knowledgable about the cooking world knew about the Luthors. They operated several chains of restaurants known for their incredible food. Lionel Luthor had multiple Michelin stars and the eldest Luthor child, Lex, was apparently an exceptional chef. Which is when it clicked. The elder student giving the speech earlier, that had been Lex Luthor. She hadn’t seen a picture of Lena Luthor in a long time, the last time had been in some cooking magazine and the girl had been like 9 or something. Of course, Kara had been 9 back then too…

Now that the awkward introductions were out of the way, Kara hopped to her feet and skipped towards Lena. She extended a hand quickly and offered the warmest smile she could. “I’m Kara Danvers, and it’s really nice to meet you Ms. Luthor. I guess we’ll be spending a lot of time together.”

“Hardly,” Lena replied quickly, and though her tone remained mostly neutral she had winced, if only momentarily. She took a step back, but it was one of those ‘I’m pretending to be polite’ steps. “I’ll have to ask that none of you bother me and I’ll extend the same courtesy, of course. It’s nothing personal, I just have my studies to focus on and my family would rather I… keep to myself.”

Kara could see right through those words. What Lena meant was that the four of them weren’t good enough for her, which begged the question… Lena Luthor had to be cooking royalty, essentially, so what was she doing slumming it with commoners like them? A question for another day. “Isn’t part of the fun trying other people’s food though, think of all the different meals you might miss out on!” Kara blurted out.

Lena chuckled at that, one of those rich people laughs, the kind of laughs that let you know someone is looking down on you. “What could I possibly miss out on? I’ve spent my entire life refining my palette, eating the kind of foods and delicacies most people only dream of. My father started teaching me how to cook when I was six years old…” Lena trailed off and quirked a perfectly manicured brow. She wanted a name.

“Kara. Danvers.”

“Well, Miss Danvers, where did you study thus far?”

“Study?” Kara asked. Her hand was still sticking out towards Lena at this point and she gingerly pulled it away. “I didn’t study anywhere. I just… like to cook.”

Lena looked shocked, almost like she was the insulted one. She looked Kara up and down and repeated back at her “You… like to cook? I see, well, that explains… a lot.”

“Well, that doesn’t mean I’m not good!” Kara blurted out again, squashing her brow down slightly to furrow it. “I’ve been practicing my whole life.”

“Oh, goodness. My mistake then.” Lena said, dismissing the eager newbie with a wave of her hand. She reached behind her, wrapping her dainty fingers around her the handle of her suitcase. “I’m sure you’re wonderful then, Ms. Danvers. However, my point still stands. I will refrain from bothering any of you, and you will all refrain from distracting me from my studies. I meant no disrespect, I just think our cooking skills are on different levels. I’ve eaten dishes prepared by the most famous chefs in the world, and unfortunately for you, I highly doubt you could make anything that could impress me. Even the most basic of dishes made by a master can be incredible. That is what I-  
“Let me try then!” Kara, once again, blurted out. “You can’t dismiss me so easily, not without even trying my cooking!” Kara’s lips curved up into a grin. “That would be rude, not at all befitting of the Luthor name, wouldn’t you say?” 

Lena hummed softly, clearly annoyed. She was trapped though. “Very well, Ms. Danvers. And what, pray tell, is this culinary masterpiece you intend to impress me with?”

“Something  _ basic.” _ she teased, “A grilled cheese sandwich. Everything I think I’ll need is in the fridge. I saw earlier.”

Lena scoffed, “Very well. Please, allow me to go bring my things to my room and you can begin cooking then.” 

With that Lena pushed her way past Kara and the blonde turned towards her new friends. They looked bewildered, scared even. There were several long moments of silence, with nothing but shock hanging in the air between the three women, with only excitement coming from Kara. She had never imagined she would cook for a Luthor on her very first day. It was an honor, for sure, but also she kind of wanted to impress Lena. Prove herself to her. After all, if she could impress a Luthor, everything else this school had to throw at her would be a cinch.

“Kara, are you sure that was such a good idea?” Nia asked, while the other two fidgeted around her. 

“It’ll be fine,” Kara called out as she skipped towards her own bedroom, digging out her roll case. She returned and repeated “It’ll be fine.” before anyone had a chance to interrupt her, something she was sure they had just been about to do. “I’ll never know unless I try, right?”

They all gathered around as Kara prepared. Even Lena returned during this time, watching with a harsh expression, and her arms crossed over her chest. She stood several feet away from the others, however. Before they came here they’d all been allowed to make a sort of grocery list, and Kara was glad everything had been here for her arrival. She rolled her sleeves up, grinned towards her spectators, washed her hands, and spun back.

She rolled her case open, displaying the knives within. It wasn’t a fancy knife set, but it was the fanciest her parents had been able to afford at the time. It had been a gift for her birthday a few years ago. Her parents had bemoaned being unable to offer her something better, but Kara hadn’t cared. What had mattered most was that she had her own knife set, her own professional knife set! It even had one of those cool rolling cases! 

Lena, of course, did not see it that way. Her lips pursed together and her eyes narrowed at Kara’s instruments. Even from a safe distance away, she could tell that the knives were of subpar quality. Then again, what had she expected? Her previous interactions indicated that she was dealing with what was essentially a hillbilly of the culinary world, so she felt no remorse as she hummed her disapproval. 

“Something wrong?” Kara asked, having no way of knowing that Lena’s complaint was nothing more than a frivolous issue.

“No, just your choice of tools. It intrigues me.”

“My knives?”

“Your knives,” Lena replied. “They’re… subpar.”

“They’re fine. I take really good care of them. They’re as sharp as anything you have, I promise.” 

“Show me, then.”

Kara nodded, and then it was like she became a completely different person. The way she worked was so fluid and graceful, it was almost like the two women had switched spots. Whereas Lena exuded grace and elegance without even trying, Kara was putting her demeanor to shame in the kitchen. The entire world faded away for Kara until all she could focus on was the task at hand, the food. Lena wasn’t Lena anymore, she was a customer, thus Kara would do her best to satisfy her. If her new friends, and Lena, were saying anything or making any noise at all it was all faded out. Instead, Kara heard the sizzle of the butter, as it melted. She heard that same sizzle from the pancetta. She heard the wrinkling of the bag as she brought her bread out and the sound of her cracking the eggs on the edge of the counter. She smelled the cheese, as the smell of provolone filled the air and she felt the handle of her knife, wielding it as gracefully as a Samurai with their katana. The world faded away until the food was done, and her creation was ready.

“Go ahead,” she urged, and pushed the plate towards Lena, pushing a secondary one towards her friends. Obviously, she wasn’t going to not make enough for everyone! 

Lena sighed softly, spinning the plate around and observing the crude sandwich. The grilled cheese sandwich was something every chef should be able to make, she herself was a master at it of course. It was a good test too, testing your control of temperature and timing. One mistake and the entire thing could end up a mess. “Your presentation is rather crude, Ms. Danvers but it smells acceptable at least.” 

“I was making food casually, Lena. Not every dish has to be fancy all the time.”

This did give Lena pause. Had she ever eaten something casual? No, she was fairly certain she hadn’t. All of her dishes since childhood had been of the utmost quality, culinary perfection for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Needless to say, she vehemently disagreed with Kara’s words. ‘If you say so.” she replied and frowned. Seeing no other way of eating the thing she grabbed it with her hands, of all things, and brought it to her mouth before biting into it. A big bite too, if she was going to eat something such as this, she would at least be polite and give it a chance.

“Not bad,” Lena confessed, after having swallowed the first bite. “Your presentation was sloppy, but the flavor profile isn’t bad Ms. Danvers.”

“I used sourdough so that the taste would contrast nicely with the saltiness of the Pancetta. The egg was cooked over medium because I wanted a nice yolk to seep into the bread. It’s nothing too fancy, but it’s quick, easy, and comforting.”

Lena placed the sandwich onto the plate and pushed it back towards Kara. “Yes, I can see what you were going for but I’m not impressed. I will admit I misjudged you, I figured you for nothing more than some hillbilly who’d been let in here by accident, but you understand the fundamentals at the very least. Your timing was excellent, and more people than you might expect are incapable of cooking an egg properly. You did your best, but the presentation is an important factor,”

“Not as important as taste.” Kara retorted.

“No, but even there you could have made some improvements. Here, let me show you the difference between us, Ms. Danvers.”

The other three were all but forgotten at this point. The next several minutes were spent with Lena recreating Kara’s dish. She used most of the same ingredients, though used her own tools and mixed things up a little. The biggest difference in their work, however, was in Lena’s movements and demeanor. Where Kara had been all smiles and passion Lena moved like a robot. There was no joy in her work, no passion. Instead, she was going through the motions, doing something she had undoubtedly done a thousand times before to the point of mastery. By the time Lena was done, there was no smile on her face and no joy in her work. She pushed the dish towards Kara, and crossed her arms.

When Kara tasted it her eyes widened because despite only minor changes Lena’s dish undoubtedly tasted better. 

“I added a bit of parmesan to the cheese mix, to really elevate the taste. The parmesan gives it an extra layer of flavor. Furthermore, my sandwich doesn’t look like it was hastily put together, because it wasn’t. You’ll also notice I left the bread on for a little less time than you, allowing the yolk to better seep into the bread. The egg was placed under the cheese too, which was one of the main issues with your dish.” just when she seemed done lauding her dish, she finished with “Oh, furthermore you’ll notice  _ my  _ cut was clean. A perfect cut directly through, and some parsley sprinkled on top for a tasteless garnish. Your inferior knives simply can’t cut like these ones.

“You have skills, Ms. Danvers. One day, I have no doubt you’ll make an excellent chef. You were far better than I anticipated. I can’t say I see any Michelin stars in your future though, but you’ll be successful at the very least.” each work stung Kara, hitting her right in the heart. 

If this had been a competition, Kara would have lost. Though, they never inquired with the others as to which dish was better, if they had the results would have shocked them. They all would have agreed Lena’s dish tasted better, but that Kara’s was the preferred one. The passion and homeyness to the ‘sloppy’ sandwich brought about a comfort and nostalgia that Lena’s sandwich could never hope to rival. Hers came off an assembly line, and Kara’s came from the heart. Kara’s heart would, hopefully, with the right training, allow her to surpass Lena’s passionless cooking by far. Lena had forgotten a long time ago that cooking was supposed to be fun if she had ever known it at all. 

For now, however, Lena accepted her victory. “Loser can clean up, I think. That seems fair.” Then she caused everyone to jump, by stabbing her knife directly into the counter, without any respect whatsoever for the instrument. “Why don’t you go ahead and keep this knife set as a consolation prize. They’re Henckels, far better than your little toy knives.” Lena was already walking away without so much as another glance towards her new housemates. “No need to thank me, I’ll simply buy a new set. Enjoy moving in, everyone.” 

When her door shut everyone let out a sigh of relief. Everyone except Kara, who glanced towards the knife set she had shown up with and the one Lena was offering her as a prize. Her chest tightened, and all of a sudden she wasn’t so sure she had made the right decision going to this school anymore.

  
  



End file.
